


on golden sands

by cosimamanning



Series: just one, i'm a few [3]
Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: F/F, Family Voyage to the Ocean, Phelps the Shark Plushie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-28 05:27:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11411169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosimamanning/pseuds/cosimamanning
Summary: They go to the sea.





	on golden sands

**Author's Note:**

> song rec for this "beyond the sea" by bobby darin 
> 
> special thanks to the salt crew for reading this and screaming at me and calling me satan in the comments, here are some of my favorite responses of theirs:
> 
> "okay stab me" -elle  
> "M'HEART. M'HEART IS M'HURTIN' -ray  
> "I'm crying into my sandwich rn" -bri  
> "fuckfuckhieojsg noPE" -norma

Bright yellow light envelops the beaches below, the soft cries of gulls drifting on the breeze. Waves roll over golden sand, chasing at little eager feet, stomping and splashing and exploring and filled with life.

It’s beautiful, the ocean.

Deep blue and far reaching and sparkling in the sunlight, completely dazzling. She was meant to see it with someone, a long time ago. Staring out into the horizon, the endless image of blue, it’s easy to remember, happy, almost.

Up ahead, Sarah chases Kira through the waves, lifting her high up into the air, and Kira’s peals of laughter ring louder than any seagulls, painting the air bright yellows and oranges with her joy. She’s such a colorful child, regardless of her emotions, tracking colors wherever she goes, yellows and oranges and purples and blues and pinks.

Kira stays away from reds, though, even when she’s splotchy with anger. Somehow Kira knows that red is a color to stay away from as she paints her way through life. That red comes with too many bad memories, stains life with sickness and fear and loss. She thinks, if anyone could make red beautiful again, it would be Kira.

Sarah chases Kira through the waves, the two of them laughing and carefree and _happy_ , and it’s beautiful to watch, sitting in the sun-warmed sand, letting herself soak it all in. Her feet itch to take her there with them, the ocean beckoning to her as it always does, singing in her very bones to return to their watery depths, but for now, she breathes in the scent of saltwater on the air and lets herself _be_.

It’s easier to tether herself to the shore like this, longer than she’s usually able, with Cosima sitting besides her, in a nest of spread-out towels next to an abandoned sand castle. The family of three had worked very hard on it before Kira felt it, the pull of the ocean, and her little feet carried her off to be by the sea’s side, Sarah following her loyally.

Cosima watches them with a fond smile on her face, leaning back onto her arms, expression filled with so much _love_ . It shines out of her like rays of sunlight, because Cosima has always been the sun, and even though it’s no longer intended just for her, she can still _feel_ it, still bask in it.

Next to Cosima is Phelps, where Kira left him in her haste to get to the water. The little sea-farer would be a captain, too, someday, and every captain needs a first mate. Phelps was worn with age and love, but still in pristine condition, ready for all of Kira’s adventures on open water.

Jennifer wonders if Cosima can feel her.

She wishes she could reach out and touch her, reassure her, _thank_ her, anything. Cosima keeps all of her promises, and she’s here, with Phelps, at the edge of the world, just like Jennifer had asked of her, years ago.

Cosima insisted they’d see it together, and in a way, they are, just not the way she expected. Jennifer knew that if there was a part of her left behind, it’d be tethered to the little shark sitting at Cosima’s side, allowing her to be here, for this moment, soaking in a warmth that has nothing to do with the sun.

Sarah comes back up to sit with Cosima and they watch Kira with keen eyes, and Jennifer watches them. She can feel Kira, chasing at the feet of the waves that have become extensions of her, filled with the vibrancy and life she herself had once been filled with.

“I miss her,” Cosima says softly, so softly, and Jennifer stills even though she knows they can’t see her. Sarah rubs circles on Cosima’s hand the same way Cosima used to rub circles on Jennifer’s forearm, and lets Cosima lean into her.

“She was your best friend,” Sarah responds, as though it explains everything, and Jennifer’s heart swells at the memory of it all, “tell me about her?” Cosima stares off into the horizon, expression softening.

“She wanted to see the ocean more than anything,” she says after a while, “wanted to swim out as far as her arms could take her and then just _float_ and let the waves lead her wherever they wanted.”

Jennifer wants to tell Cosima about what’s just beyond the horizon, the peace, the way the heaviness in weary arms melts to soft splendor, but instead she just smiles, remembering.

“She sounds wonderful every time you talk about her,” Sarah mumbles, “Kira loves the stories.” Cosima smiles, then, looking out at her and Sarah’s daughter, still kicking at the water, giggling her little head off.

“Kira reminds me of her so much sometimes.” Jennifer watches them all, when she can, but she spends the most time watching Kira, Kira who is so wonderfully colorful and full of life and innocence and _youth_ , untouched by the horrors that the others have seen. She’s a little miracle, and Jennifer expects nothing else of Cosima’s child.

Sarah smiles at Cosima tenderly and kisses her forehead and they sit there in silence, watching after her. Jennifer’s happy that they have one another to grow old with, share love and pain and secrets. There are parts of her that regret words she never said, but she knows that Cosima knows she’s loved, and that she always has been, by Sarah, by Jennifer, and countless others.

Kira comes running back after her eyes begin to droop, and Cosima wraps her in a towel close to her chest, tickling at her sides.

“Is this where the captain lives?” Kira asks her, and Jennifer watches her, enraptured. The way she moves, the way her little eyes sparkle, taking in the differences in her facial structure, because she usually isn’t allowed to be this close.

“Maybe, I’m not quite sure anymore,” Cosima admits, passing over Phelps, who Kira hugs close to her chest, “I wish you could meet her.” Holding Phelps, the little girl looks directly at her, blinking, and Jennifer smiles at her brilliantly, offering a small wave.

Kira smiles back.

“What’re ya smilin at, monkey?” Sarah asks, and Jennifer holds a single finger to her lips and Kira smiles again.

“Nothing,” Kira shrugs, happily. Cosima smiles at Kira somewhat oddly and Sarah kisses her forehead, and Jennifer looks at them for another long moment. She can feel the sea calling her back, though, and as her feet carry her back into the water, Kira waves.

Jennifer waves back, and then lets her arms carry her out as far as they can take her.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! hope you enjoyed! my girl jennifer deserves endless love. comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. 
> 
> as always, you can prompt me on my tumblr, [here](danaryas.tumblr.com) and check out some of my other works on my second ao3 [here](archiveofourown.org/users/sam_kom_trashkru/works).


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